Bernie Bits: Let's wait and see on Ryan

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Bernie Miklasz
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bits-let-s-wait-and-see-on-ryan/article_2bd1d65d-9c04-57e1-abbf-580c23ee0de3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... e0de3.html</a>

eeK7Pew.jpg



Rob Ryan would bring an interesting résumé to the post of Rams defensive coordinator. The son of Buddy and the twin brother of Rex, Rob comes with that Ryan football DNA. The Ryans are known for their feisty defenses and (ahem) exuberant personalities.

I’ve said this before, so please forgive me for being redundant. But Rams coach Jeff Fisher has established credibility as the de facto football leader of the franchise. He’s earned trust. If Fisher thinks Ryan is the right choice for an important job, then we’ll defer to Fisher and see how it goes.

There’s no reason to make a judgment on the Ryan recruitment at this point; the play of the Rams’ defense will determine that. And Ryan has run a 4-3 defense before, so that isn’t an issue.

Here’s the thing that bothers me, and my concern is based on facts rather than bluster: Rob Ryan’s defenses haven’t played at a high level. He’s been an NFL defensive coordinator for nine seasons, at Oakland (2004-2008), Cleveland (2009-2010) and Dallas (2011-2012.)

I’ve already written about where the Rob Ryan defenses ranked in yards and points allowed. There were a couple of good years, such as 2006 in Oakland and 2010 in Cleveland. But his defenses ranked 20th or worse among the 32 teams in points allowed five times in nine years. It’s the same story in yards allowed, with five rankings of 20th or poorer.

OK, but what about the ability to disrupt an offense by sacking quarterbacks and forcing turnovers? The Ryan defenses haven’t made much impact in getting to the quarterback and causing interceptions and fumbles. And with passing games going so crazy in the modern NFL, a defense must come up with lots of big plays.

Some numbers:

• In sacks, Ryan’s defenses have been in the top 15 twice in nine seasons. His defenses had a total of 299 sacks in nine years, or 33.2 a season. Over those nine years NFL teams averaged 35.5 sacks per 16 games. So the Ryan sack rate, while not terrible, is slightly below average. The Rams finished tied for first with 52 sacks in 2012; a Rob Ryan defense hasn’t had more than 42.

• In the turnover category, Ryan’s defenses finished in the top 15 for most takeaways only once in nine seasons. His defenses forced 198 turnovers in nine years, an average of 22 per 16 games. NFL teams averaged just under 27 takeaways over the nine seasons. Only one Rob Ryan defense has exceeded that average; Cleveland had 28 takeaways in 2010.

So what are we to make of this?

First, Fisher learned NFL defense under Buddy Ryan and is all but an extended member of the Ryan family. I think relationships matter. This is a plus. One of Fisher’s finest attributes is his ability to coach his assistants, and I believe he can make Rob Ryan a better coach.

Second, Fisher will run the defense that he wants to run. The Rams’ coordinator won’t have autonomy; the coaching of a Fisher defense has always been a collaborative effort. Fisher has core beliefs and philosophies. His assistants know that this is his defense. They work for him.

Third, Ryan is in an appealing position to benefit from an alliance with Fisher. Rob Ryan is respected in the league, even with the so-so showing of his defenses. The Rams have an attractive mix of talent on defense, with more talent on the way. Ryan should have a great opportunity to win over skeptics and critics.

With Fisher’s heavy influence, this could work. Rob Ryan doesn’t have to concoct miracles. He doesn’t have a mess to clean up. He isn’t working for a lightweight head coach. Ryan just needs to put his piece in by implementing ideas that can enhance the Rams’ defense. And he must connect with the players and keep them motivated.

The potential has always been there with Rob Ryan, but the performances haven’t lived up to the potential. This could be the job that he’s been waiting for.

In my view, this isn’t so much about what Ryan can do for Fisher.

It’s more about what Fisher can do for Ryan.
 

RamFan503

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X said:
Bernie Miklasz
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bits-let-s-wait-and-see-on-ryan/article_2bd1d65d-9c04-57e1-abbf-580c23ee0de3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... e0de3.html</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

eeK7Pew.jpg



Rob Ryan would bring an interesting résumé to the post of Rams defensive coordinator. The son of Buddy and the twin brother of Rex, Rob comes with that Ryan football DNA. The Ryans are known for their feisty defenses and (ahem) exuberant personalities.

I’ve said this before, so please forgive me for being redundant. But Rams coach Jeff Fisher has established credibility as the de facto football leader of the franchise. He’s earned trust. If Fisher thinks Ryan is the right choice for an important job, then we’ll defer to Fisher and see how it goes.

There’s no reason to make a judgment on the Ryan recruitment at this point; the play of the Rams’ defense will determine that. And Ryan has run a 4-3 defense before, so that isn’t an issue.

Here’s the thing that bothers me, and my concern is based on facts rather than bluster: Rob Ryan’s defenses haven’t played at a high level. He’s been an NFL defensive coordinator for nine seasons, at Oakland (2004-2008), Cleveland (2009-2010) and Dallas (2011-2012.)

I’ve already written about where the Rob Ryan defenses ranked in yards and points allowed. There were a couple of good years, such as 2006 in Oakland and 2010 in Cleveland. But his defenses ranked 20th or worse among the 32 teams in points allowed five times in nine years. It’s the same story in yards allowed, with five rankings of 20th or poorer.

OK, but what about the ability to disrupt an offense by sacking quarterbacks and forcing turnovers? The Ryan defenses haven’t made much impact in getting to the quarterback and causing interceptions and fumbles. And with passing games going so crazy in the modern NFL, a defense must come up with lots of big plays.

Some numbers:

• In sacks, Ryan’s defenses have been in the top 15 twice in nine seasons. His defenses had a total of 299 sacks in nine years, or 33.2 a season. Over those nine years NFL teams averaged 35.5 sacks per 16 games. So the Ryan sack rate, while not terrible, is slightly below average. The Rams finished tied for first with 52 sacks in 2012; a Rob Ryan defense hasn’t had more than 42.

• In the turnover category, Ryan’s defenses finished in the top 15 for most takeaways only once in nine seasons. His defenses forced 198 turnovers in nine years, an average of 22 per 16 games. NFL teams averaged just under 27 takeaways over the nine seasons. Only one Rob Ryan defense has exceeded that average; Cleveland had 28 takeaways in 2010.

So what are we to make of this?

First, Fisher learned NFL defense under Buddy Ryan and is all but an extended member of the Ryan family. I think relationships matter. This is a plus. One of Fisher’s finest attributes is his ability to coach his assistants, and I believe he can make Rob Ryan a better coach.

Second, Fisher will run the defense that he wants to run. The Rams’ coordinator won’t have autonomy; the coaching of a Fisher defense has always been a collaborative effort. Fisher has core beliefs and philosophies. His assistants know that this is his defense. They work for him.

Third, Ryan is in an appealing position to benefit from an alliance with Fisher. Rob Ryan is respected in the league, even with the so-so showing of his defenses. The Rams have an attractive mix of talent on defense, with more talent on the way. Ryan should have a great opportunity to win over skeptics and critics.

With Fisher’s heavy influence, this could work. Rob Ryan doesn’t have to concoct miracles. He doesn’t have a mess to clean up. He isn’t working for a lightweight head coach. Ryan just needs to put his piece in by implementing ideas that can enhance the Rams’ defense. And he must connect with the players and keep them motivated.

The potential has always been there with Rob Ryan, but the performances haven’t lived up to the potential. This could be the job that he’s been waiting for.

In my view, this isn’t so much about what Ryan can do for Fisher.

It’s more about what Fisher can do for Ryan.

I'll admit that I don't know a hell of a lot about Rob Ryan. I have to think that Fish brought him in for specific and calculable reasons that don't show up on stat sheets. Maybe someone can shed more light but there are a lot of factors to consider. Is he being brought in because of his game day tactics? Is it his teaching skills (doubtful - but maybe because we're a young team)? Is it his ability to bring his assistants together? Is he a good motivator? Does Fish think his other coaches have little enough of an ego that he can bring in Ryan with the title of DC and the others will just do their jobs (again - doubtful)? Does Fish believe he can tell him what he wants and he will simply do it, therefore allowing Fish to work more closely with his offensive unit?

As others have said, I'ma gonna trust Jeff. I AM intrigued though.
 

…..

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I think our players can do for Ryan what the Giants did for Spagnulo...make him look better than he actually is. The thing that has me settled about all this is that we already have a nucleus in place and things are looking up. We dont need Ryan to come in and change anything and he cant intimidate any of the coaches because they've all been coodinators before.

To be fair, I thought Cleveland had a pretty good defense under Ryan and I dont think Dallas had enough playmakers to succeed under Ryan. So its a mixed bag of tricks with the majority of performance indicators generally trending down.

I think we just got us a role player. Rex just needs to come in and get acclimated, integrate himself to be a part of the team. The best part of all this is the buzz it will create and get the Rams more attention. I think he'll make watching the rams a little more fun.
 

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The Dog said:
I think our players can do for Ryan what the Giants did for Spagnulo...make him look better than he actually is. The thing that has me settled about all this is that we already have a nucleus in place and things are looking up. We dont need Ryan to come in and change anything and he cant intimidate any of the coaches because they've all been coodinators before.

To be fair, I thought Cleveland had a pretty good defense under Ryan and I dont think Dallas had enough playmakers to succeed under Ryan. So its a mixed bag of tricks with the majority of performance indicators generally trending down.

I think we just got us a role player. Rex just needs to come in and get acclimated, integrate himself to be a part of the team. The best part of all this is the buzz it will create and get the Rams more attention. I think he'll make watching the rams a little more fun.
Rex? :sly: Oh HELLLLLLL no.

I think Rob is going to add to the mix of coaches who are "in your face" and motivators of men. Get the excitement level high and keep it up there throughout the week and during games. He's also going to be a 'different' playcaller. Evidently Blake screwed that up a few times, and Rob has more experience in that regard. He's also pretty familiar with how Fisher sees offenses and how Fisher wants his defense to perform in a variety of situations.

He's more like an extension of Fisher, so that's cool with me.
 

Stranger

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Bernie Bits: Let's wait and see on Ryan
Bernie wants everyone else to "wait" so that he can be the first one to burn Ryan to the ground.

There’s no reason to make a judgment on the Ryan recruitment at this point
Hey, but don't that let stop Bernie from starting his Ryan-bashing.

Here’s the thing that bothers me, and my concern is based on facts rather than bluster
And here we go, right after saying let's not "make a judgement at this point", Bernie digs right in. So, while we should "trust" Fisher, we should also know that Ryan's stats stink... is that the point Bernie?

Oh, and to accentuate Bernie's bashing, which he said we should "wait and see on", he suspiciously leaves out any discussion of injuries that Ryan's defenses have suffered. No mention that Ryan was signing and starting players off-the-street in some of these defenses. No information to put the stats in to perspective. Oh well, guess that wouldn't feed Ramstalk as well as misleading them with Bernie's traditional style of folksie yellow journalism.


With Fisher’s heavy influence, this could work.
Bernie's ultimate message.... even though the stupid Ramstalk audience should "wait" to throw Ryan under the bus, Bernis is setting the stage right now, getting the bus ready to roll over Ryan's big fat head should he mistep in any way. But keep your fingers crossed, Ramstalk, because if Ryan does by chance succeed, it will be because of Fisher and not Ryan, so Bernie will still be able to ream Ryan in the media because he'll never be responsible for his own success, in the liklihood that he has success.

Watching Bernie setup & manipulate his audience is a pretty hard thing to watch.
 

bluecoconuts

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interference said:
Bernie Bits: Let's wait and see on Ryan
Bernie wants everyone else to "wait" so that he can be the first one to burn Ryan to the ground.

There’s no reason to make a judgment on the Ryan recruitment at this point
Hey, but don't that let stop Bernie from starting his Ryan-bashing.

Here’s the thing that bothers me, and my concern is based on facts rather than bluster
And here we go, right after saying let's not "make a judgement at this point", Bernie digs right in. So, while we should "trust" Fisher, we should also know that Ryan's stats stink... is that the point Bernie?

Oh, and to accentuate Bernie's bashing, which he said we should "wait and see on", he suspiciously leaves out any discussion of injuries that Ryan's defenses have suffered. No mention that Ryan was signing and starting players off-the-street in some of these defenses. No information to put the stats in to perspective. Oh well, guess that wouldn't feed Ramstalk as well as misleading them with Bernie's traditional style of folksie yellow journalism.


With Fisher’s heavy influence, this could work.
Bernie's ultimate message.... even though the stupid Ramstalk audience should "wait" to throw Ryan under the bus, Bernis is setting the stage right now, getting the bus ready to roll over Ryan's big fat head should he mistep in any way. But keep your fingers crossed, Ramstalk, because if Ryan does by chance succeed, it will be because of Fisher and not Ryan, so Bernie will still be able to ream Ryan in the media because he'll never be responsible for his own success, in the liklihood that he has success.

Watching Bernie setup & manipulate his audience is a pretty hard thing to watch.

Yep. And the worst part is they don't even know what's happening.
 

CGI_Ram

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Anything written about the Rams from the local sports media is appreciated from my side.

I think Ryan is going to do well here. As this article points out, and others have stated in this (and other threads), Ryan has some solid players here - and - Fisher's support.

Personally, I'm not sure why it took so long for Ryan to sign on. St. Louis is a defensive coordinator's dream job.
 

RamFan503

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CGI_Ram said:
Anything written about the Rams from the local sports media is appreciated from my side.

I think Ryan is going to do well here. As this article points out, and others have stated in this (and other threads), Ryan has some solid players here - and - Fisher's support.

Personally, I'm not sure why it took so long for Ryan to sign on. St. Louis is a defensive coordinator's dream job.

And then Rob wakes up. :yawn: Gonna be a long 5 minutes Mr. Ryan.
 

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Has Bernie chimed-in yet on Rob's firing (non-hiring)? I wonder how he'll spin it to maximize its junk-food-taste to the Ramstalk zombies.
 

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interference said:
Has Bernie chimed-in yet on Rob's firing (non-hiring)? I wonder how he'll spin it to maximize its junk-food-taste to the Ramstalk zombies.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-no-ryan-no-problem/article_d31a924f-bc86-5e04-9030-bd84e43105c5.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... 105c5.html</a>